James Bidwell

biography

Bidwell, James, proprietor of saw-mill, Little Cooley, was born in this township May 3, 1838; son of Cyrus and Elizabeth Bidwell, the former of whom, when a lad, came to this county with his father, Russell Bidwell, and July 4, 1837, married Elizabeth Smith, daughter of George Smith, of Blooming Valley, and settled in Athens Township. They were parents of the following children: James, Mrs. Mary Ann Higby, Lewis, Oscar, Loren, Benton, Albert, Emma (died May 1, 1872), Rebecca and Darwin C. Cyrus Bidwell departed this life December 12, 1882. Our subject, the oldest son of these early pioneers, spent his boyhood days engaged mainly in performing the duties that fell to the lot of a farmer’s boy in those early times, and attended the district schools. In 1872 he purchased the saw-mill on Muddy Creek, formerly owned by Thomas Smith. He had previously bought a farm and engaged in farming on his own account. Mr. Bidwell is an upright, reliable business man. He still carries on the mill, engaging in farming through the summers. He has ever been a Democrat, inheriting his principles from past generations.

History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania: containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc., portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1885, page 715.